We had another free med clinic today. People lined up for hours to see Dr. Franco. A 79-year-old man had an old wound from a pick ax. This took place even before the earthquake and was left untreated. His left hand was scrunched and his fingers turned in. This was a result of a stroke untreated as well. I was amazed watching the nurses take care of him and treat him, especially my good friend Joannie. They didn’t even speak the same language, and she could read him. She understood him. She's an incredible nurse, and I will always look up to her for her ability to connect with a patient.
After lunch we visited the Port-au-Prince Hospital. The workers were on strike, so no one was there to care for these people. As we walked by, each and every one of them held out their x-rays for Dr. Franco. He stopped for everyone, spoke to them, helped them as much as he could, and then prayed with them.
One man was confined to his hospital bed with handcuffs. I asked Dr. Franco to translate for me. This man was put in prison in 2006 for supposedly owning a gun. However, the police here who accused him of this crime never found a gun on him. But they put him in prison anyway. When the earthquake happened, he escaped. But the police found him and shot him in his legs. He will now spend the rest of his life confined to this bed.
As we were leaving, we walked by the tuberculosis tent. Every person in that tent will die of TB. They do not have access to the treatment and medication they need. Hearst cars lined the streets in clear view for all the patients to see.
Everyone was kind of in a daze leaving the Port-au-Prince Hospital. But as soon as we entered the compound, all the boys of the orphanage came running toward us!
I was walking around with a little boy named Olry. He’s 4-years-old. Joannie and I gave him a mini butterfinger. He literally put the entire wrapper in his mouth after eating the candy bar. As the sun set, we got in the hammock together. It only took a few minutes and Olry had passed out. And let me tell you… it’s not that easy getting out of a hammock with a child asleep on top of you.
